A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson 
Series: Cold Justice #1
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: Audible
Narrator: Eric G. Dove
Also in this series: Cold Hearted (Cold Justice, #6), Cold Secrets
Also by this author: Cold Hearted (Cold Justice, #6), Cold Secrets, Cold and Deadly
Goodreads
Cold Justice, Book 1
Justice isn’t always black or white. Sometimes it’s cold and dark.
Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn’t enjoy killing, but he’s damn good at it. He’s good at dodging the law, too—until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught.
FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there’s a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn’t justice. Is it?
When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves.
A Cold Dark Place is book 1 in the Cold Justice series by Toni Anderson. I have read books that occur later in the series and enjoyed the blend of Criminal Minds and Scandal (with less wine). In book 1, Mallory is an FBI agent transferred to the BAU after she discovers a vigilante and a mole in the FBI. She is also hunting the man who kidnapped and killed her sister when they were still children. Alex is a ‘security expert’ who moonlights as an assassin for The Gateway Project which is a black ops division of the CIA. The characters all converge on the hunt for a man abducting women with a certain look that all leads back to Mallory’s sister. Throw in Mallory’s mom who is a senator, her father who is a judge, an entire team of BAU agents who are skeptical of Mallory’s reason for being at the BAU and you have a tangled web of lies and deceit.
Mallory is a young FBI agent who gets caught up in a major cover up. This leads to a chance to really investigate her sister’s murder. Mallory is smart and driven-torn between survivors guilt and familial duty. There is a LOT going on the story that will require you to listen closely for sure. Alex is a complex guy. He was a soldier who joined the CIA to get revenge on those who set up his fellow soldiers. But, the stint in the CIA goes bad as well and now he is bitter and jaded. However, he falls hard and fast for Mallory and is determined to help her. But he also has to keep her from discovering his secret assassin duties or he will end up on death row!
The narrator did a great job. His female voices weren’t over done and he created different voices for each character which really helps when there are as many characters as Anderson has here!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: FBI/CIA
- Triggers: View Spoiler »
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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books by Rachel Grant, Cynthia Eden’s Killer Instinct Series, Laura Griffin’s Tracers series…then you will probably like A Cold Dark Place!
A Cold Dark Place
This sounds like a thrilling listen, Samantha! I think I have this one on my kindle. I’ll have to move it up in the queue. 🙂 Great review!
Yes, book 1 is free! Its a good series!
I’m adding this series to my TBR list for sure! I love a good romantic suspense but find that it can be sometimes hard to find ones that I actually enjoy. This sounds like a series that I will definitely enjoy. Great review!